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Originally posted by Zedman2:

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Originally posted by College Basketball Fan:
Will The Bachelor take Boston Legal's spot between Dancing seasons, with Boston Legal returning once Dancing does in the spring?

ABC only ordered 13 episodes of BL. Hopefully it does well enought that they will pickup the back nine.

It appears the fall episodes will be the final episodes for Boston Legal:

http://pifeedback.com/eve/forums?a=tpc&f=37510251&m=804...=697108021#697108021

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Originally posted by crateriko:
Reading numerous sources, this will be the last season. I was also just on boston-legal.org (great fan site) and the board admin has written this:

A very reliable person close to the production has told me that there will be 12 episodes in season 5, consisting of 11 episodes and a two-hour series finale. The crew and staff will be starting work mid-June, about a month earlier than usual, and the plan is to complete filming in November.

The Boston Legal stages at Manhattan Beach Studios will be gone by the end of December.

While it's sad to know season five is the final year, at least advance knowledge will help the crew, staff and cast find other jobs, even if it is before season five begins. Perhaps BL will lose some good people before the final season starts filming, but it's understandable so they can find a steady job, particularly if SAG calls for an actors strike and production is, once again, halted.

I like their Friday schedule -- I think they can easily win the night with the Supernanny/Wife Swap duo, and 20/20 can finally rebound a bit after this year's poor showing.

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Originally posted by lopez:
What happened to Bad Mother's Handbook? with Alicia Silverstone and Megan Mullally?

I believe only Life on Mars was the only completed pilot and that was done awhile ago. All other pilots have yet to tape. Once completed the exec will review and determine which will go ahead. I'm sure more shows will be added in mid-season to replace shows not working or to relieve repeats from occuring. McPherson was quoted as saying he wouldn't sked a show unless he's seen some footage first.

ABC.com has a preview for Life on Mars. Looks AMAZING!

I would have preferred to see Eli Stone after Grey's which I think is a perfect fit for it. But as an Eli fan I will at least be thankful it has a lead in with the Dancing results show.

I am still perplexed at how "Miss/Guided" got canned while "According to Jim" gets yet another season to be a black ratings hole in the line-up.

Can we speculate what incriminating photos Jim Belushi has on Disney Execs?

From a Steve McPherson interview with Kristin Dos Santos (EOnline)

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With only one new drama and two new unscripted series, there isn't much change at all. Still, he adds that there are 17 pilots still in development for midseason, so clearly, thanks to the strike, there wasn't a lot of grooming time this year.

Click Here

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Originally posted by mushu_jj:
I also don't think Life on Mars is the best option for post-Greys but its ABC.

My take on the Life On Mars slot is that they are hoping for a CSI Leadin/Crossover.

Since Grey's has not had any success as a leadin, why not use CSI's muscle and schedule a show that targets that audience instead. I guess we'll wait and see if that works or not.

BTW, LOM may be the first ABC show I watch in 2 years.

I thought the exact opposite. In less than a minute, they did every cop cliche in the book. Stylistically it's unique but there wasn't much content. It has six weeks until cancellation.

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Originally posted by lopez:
ABC.com has a preview for Life on Mars. Looks AMAZING!

Boring but safe schedule I guess. I really wanted B&S to move but Sunday is successful anyway.

BL, Eli, and Mars, I'm not that impressed. Wednesday staying the same could go either way but I expect ABC to go all out with promotion. I love Friday's lineup. Cheap and solid.

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Originally posted by Holly:
From a Steve McPherson interview with Kristin Dos Santos (EOnline)

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With only one new drama and two new unscripted series, there isn't much change at all. Still, he adds that there are 17 pilots still in development for midseason, so clearly, thanks to the strike, there wasn't a lot of grooming time this year.

Click Here

Some hightlights from Variety:
http://www.variety.com/article/VR1117985551.html?categoryid=14&cs=1

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Beyond that, ABC still has 17 pilots that remain in contention for midseason. McPherson said the Alphabet will probably pick up additional shows in two cycles: Comedies may be ordered by August, with dramas picked up in September.

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McPherson revealed that “Boston Legal,” which narrowly scored a pickup, would end its run after a final, 13-episode season.

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Meanwhile, “Life on Mars” will indeed go through some changes - including a few cast shuffles, and several reshot scenes. One large conceptual piece of the show will also change under new exec producers Josh Applebaum, Andre Nemec and Scott Rosenberg, McPherson said.

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McPherson said ABC will launch its fall schedule during the traditional premiere week, which this year starts Sept. 22. Net isn’t planning any stunts opposite the Summer Olympics, he said.

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On the thesp front, McPherson confirmed that both Dana Delaney and Nicolette Sheridan will be back on “Desperate Housewives” - even though Sheridan’s character apparently departed the series in its season finale. Also, Rebecca Romijn has left “Ugly Betty” as a regular castmember, but could return for guest stints

:sigh: "Life on Mars" another US version from a "succesful" international series. I don't see how the writers could strech the story over multiple seasons, if it even survives its 1st season. The BBC version didn't last beyond the 2nd season.

http://www.thefutoncritic.com/news.aspx?id=7645

THE FUTON'S UPFRONT NOTES: ABC
By The Futon Critic Staff (TFC)


LOS ANGELES (thefutoncritic.com) -- A round-up of the various developments from ABC's upfront presentation that may have gotten lost in the shuffle:

-- 11 series didn't make the cut for ABC's 2008-09 season schedule, including "Oprah's Big Give." "We loved that show and absolutely would have loved to bring it back," ABC entertainment president Steve McPherson said in a conference call this morning. "But it was something [Oprah] didn't want to do." Also confirmed dead: "Big Shots," "Carpoolers," "Cashmere Mafia," "Cavemen," "Just for Laughs," "Men in Trees," "Miss/Guided," "Notes from the Underbelly," "October Road" and "Women's Murder Club."

-- ABC still has 17 pilots under consideration for midseason. McPherson detailed the projects during the actual presentation, which include eight comedies and nine dramas. They are "Bad Mother's Handbook," "Five Year Plan," "Never Better," "Roman's Empire," "This Might Hurt," "Fourplay" (previously "Untitled Kohan/Mutchnick Project"), "Single With Parents" (previously "My Brother's Hot (And Other Dilemmas)" and "In the Motherhood" on the comedy front and "Captain Cook's Extraordinary Atlas," "Castle," "Cupid," "Finnegan," "Good Behavior," "Prince of Motor City," "Untitled David Hemingson Project," "The Unusuals" and "Section 8" on the drama side. All except "Motherhood" were previously announced (as always, you can click on the links to the right for full details on any project). Said half-hour is based on the popular web series of the same name, which starred Jenny McCarthy, Chelsea Handler and Leah Remini. It's not clear why the "Untitled Victor Fresco Project," which has already cast Andrea Anders and Portia de Rossi, was not listed. Overall, only three scripted pilots were completed prior to ABC's upfront: "Life on Mars," "More Things Change..." and the "Untitled Cedric the Entertainer Project." McPherson, who went out of his way to affirm the necessity of the pilot process, hopes to order several new comedies and dramas by August and September respectively for midseason.

-- "Boston Legal" will return for its fifth (and final) season of 13 episodes. The series will shift to Monday's at 10:00/9:00c for its swan song, to be replaced by "The Bachelor" at midseason. McPherson says that creator David E. Kelley is expected to write most of the remaining episodes. Also due at midseason: the "Untitled Banks/Kutcher Project" will spell "Dancing With the Stars" cycles on Mondays while "Scrubs" and newcomer "The Goode Family" will fill the same void on Tuesdays. No time periods were specified for "Lost," "According to Jim" or "Primetime: What Would You Do?"

-- The "Life on Mars" pilot will likely be reshot. McPherson noted that the retooling could involve some recasting but the general idea is establish the vision of incoming executive producers Josh Applebaum, Andre Nemec and Scott Rosenberg.

-- "Here Come the Newlyweds" and "Dance War" may return. Neither project appeared on the Alphabet's 2008-09 schedule but each could potentially return according to network sources. Casting has already begun on a second season of "Newlyweds," however production on a new season hasn't been greenlit.

-- Other odds and ends. "Scrubs" and "According to Jim" have been picked up for 18 episodes each, while the network's fall schedule will kick off during the traditional "premiere week" of September 22.

quote:

Originally posted by Zedman2:
ABC only ordered 13 episodes of BL. Hopefully it does well enought that they will pickup the back nine.

I think that will give them 101 episodes and unless the ratings are stellar, then I don't think ABC will be feeling generous if Eli Stone shows signs of life or Life on Mars (and Dirty Sexy Money) are doing fine when they've got stuff in development for midseason.

Based on the article above, sounds like only a 13 ep renewal for BL.

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Originally posted by Ginger:

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Originally posted by Zedman2:
ABC only ordered 13 episodes of BL. Hopefully it does well enought that they will pickup the back nine.

I think that will give them 101 episodes and unless the ratings are stellar, then I don't think ABC will be feeling generous if Eli Stone shows signs of life or Life on Mars (and Dirty Sexy Money) are doing fine when they've got stuff in development for midseason.